A master engraver Stefano della Bella; his style, works and aprroach to the Oriental image

Abstract

Stefano della Bella was one of the famous Italian printmaker in 17th century. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith but soon he began to turn his attention entirely towards engraving. He spent the majority of his prolific career working in Florence. He also spent a considerable time in study at Rome and went to Paris and the Netherlands. In the beginning of his artistic career he was under the influence of Jacques Callot’s style but later became enchanted by the Rembrandt’s prints. Rembrandt’s effect is also seen on Della Bella’s Orientalist figure studies. His style changed somewhat when he traveled to Paris and the Netherlands. He was a productive printmaker and left very numerous drawings and engravings about theatrical designs, landscapes and battle scenes. His productions over 1000 separate pieces are now in different museums and private collections all over the world.